Special Education in

Pakistan

 United Nations estimates that there

are more than 650 million persons
in the world with disabilities. The
majority of such persons live in
under-developed countries.
It is feared that their number would
increase rapidly due to the break out
of wars, terrorist attacks and
other so many reasons.

 After independence, Pakistan had

to face some serious challenges
due to which no proper emphasis
was given to special education and
even education.
The programme could not be fully
implemented due to
lack
of
administrative support, funds,
trained personnels, etc.

 Though
The
Government
of
Pakistan
recognizes
its
responsibility
to
educate
the
handicapped citizens first time in the
report of Commission on National
Education, 1959.

 Report of the Commission on National

Education (1959):
This Commission on National Education was
appointed by a resolution adopted by the
Government of Pakistan on December 30, 1958.
It comprised of 10 prominent educationists /
experts from various departments related to
education. The President of Pakistan inaugurated
the commission. The commission started its
function on January 15, 1959 and presented its
report to President on August 26, 1959.

 The main points of the Commission were,

The contribution by the Professionals such as the doctor,
psychologist, physiotherapist, etc.
The general education should be combined with vocational
education
It was suggested to mobilize the community to accept its
responsibility for the education of the handicapped
it was recommended to benefit from more personal medical
and
educational
services
of
private
philanthropic
organizations.
there should be a partnership between the Government and
representatives of
social organizations, to set up
agencies specifically for the care of the several types of
handicapped persons.
Highly specialized training of teachers

 But
the
proposal
to
provide
education for these children was not
made until the Education Policy
1972-1980, and in the Fifth Five
Year Plan (Pakistan Planning
Commission, 1978).

 The National Education Policy

and Implementation Programme
(1979):
This policy was announced in 1979.
In its foreword, the main purpose of
the new policy was declared to
recommend
new
effort
for
reconstruction of education in
the country.

 Policy Statement:
In the policy statement, education,
treatment, institutional care and
rehabilitation of the handicapped
was stated important moral and religious
obligations as a nation.
According to the policy, the handicapped
citizen should be so rehabilitated as to
enable them to enter the main
stream of national life.

 Main / Key Points:

Survey of existing facilities for education
of the handicapped in all the four provinces.
Identification of new institutions.
Development of National Demonstration
Pilot Projects for Education of the
Disabled and Handicapped.
Development of projects for identifying
needs
for
strengthening
existing
institutions for the disabled.

 During the Sixth Five Year Plan

(1983-1988),
the
social
welfare
programme
concentrated
on
strengthening existing institutions of
social welfare and special education.
In order to overcome organizational
setbacks, the
Federal
Directorate
General of Special Education with
provincial counterparts was set up in
1985.

 In 1980s, government involvement was

witnessed and increased budgetary
provision for special education was made.
In the Fifth Five Year Plan, a notable sum of
26 million was allocated for the
purpose as compared to 2 million
provided in the First Plan.
The establishment of Four Model Special
Education Institutions for Disabled
Children in Islamabad, under the
Ministry of Health and Social Welfare,
was an achievement of the Fifth Plan
(1978-83).

 The Seventh Five-Year Plan (Pakistan

Planning Commission 1988) noted
that the existing facilities were few
and inadequate.
The facilities came under the Ministry of
Social Welfare and Special Education,
which is responsible for providing both
special schooling and integrated and
comprehensive rehabilitative services to
children with disabilities.

 The National Policy, 1986 was primarily concerned with

issues such as organizing services for the disabled and
the implementation of programmes, and paid insufficient
attention to the critical matter of the curriculum.
A review of the 1986 Policy was undertaken in
1988 that refereed to a category-based system of
special education in Pakistan.
The five categories of special needs education were
identified in the policy. five different disabilities were:
i) Mental disability,
ii) Visual impairment
iii) Hearing impairment
iv) Physical disability
v) Multiple disability
vi) Not classified 3%

 The National Policy for Special Education,

1999:
After the National Policy for Rehabilitation
of the Disabled (1986), the Government of
Pakistan formulated another policy on
Special Education in 1999.
It focused the need for change in public
attitudes to the disabled and the important
role of media in highlighting the successes
of persons with disabilities.

 National Policy for Persons with Disabilities,

2002:
National Policy for Persons with Disabilities (2002) was
the first full-fledged National Special Education
Policy to fulfill need for the education,
rehabilitation and care of the disabled both by
government and by the private sector.
In the policy , the provision of special facilities for the
education, training and rehabilitation of disabled
persons was regarded as being of central importance
concerning the rights of a significant percentage of our
population.

 The goal of the policy was the

empowerment of persons with
disabilities, irrespective of caste,
religion,
gender
or
other
consideration for the realization of
their full potential in all domains of
life, specially social, economic,
personal and political.

 Main / Key Points:

The focus areas of the National Policy for
Persons with Disabilities, 2002, are
Early Intervention, Assessment and Medical
Treatment
Education and Training
Vocational Training, Employment and Rehabilitation
Research and Development
Advocacy and Mass Awareness
Sports and Recreation
Design of Buildings, Parks and Public Places

 Institutional Arrangement/Mechanism:
Role of the provincial government and
assistance by the Federal Government.
Role of the District governments are
expected to enhance the scope of programmes
for persons with disabilities.
Community involvement, for which the
establishment of voluntary organizations.
Involvement of a wide variety of professionals,
organizations and community at large.
Joint efforts of the concerned Ministries in
addition to the Ministry of Social Welfare
and Special Education were proposed to fulfill
the objectives, laid down in this Policy.

 National Plan of Action for Persons with

Disabilities, 2006:
The National Plan of Action (NPA) suggests
measures to operationalize the National Policy
for the Persons with Disabilities 2002.
The NPA is based on the philosophy that access,
inclusion and equalization of opportunities for
the person with disabilities are not possible by
isolated interventions. These services should
therefore be designed in an integrated way by
pooling and mobilizing all resources.

 Special Citizens Act, 2008:

Special Citizens Act, 2008 seeks to
provide the accessibility to disabled
citizens at every public place, with
regard to allocation of seats in public
transports, provision of facilities on
footpaths for wheelchairs and blind
persons.
Special Citizens Act, 2008; Government of Pakistan.

Thanks

Conclusion:
The services / planning for the persons with disabilities by the
provincial government were established after 1950s. At federal
level the systematic care of persons with disabilities was brought
into focus in 1980s with the observance of 1981 as the UN
international year of the disabled persons.
The newly established special educational and social welfare
division (1982) at the time through its attached department,
Directorate General of Special Education (1985) established special
education
centers,
vocational
training
projects,
master
degree/MPhil, PhD level special education departments at Allama
Iqbal Open University, University of Punjab and Karachi university.
To meet the emerging needs of human resource development,
establishment of a National Institute of Special Education (NISE)
was a historical achievement.
The ministry of social welfare And Special Education is responsible
for the formulation of policies, plans, procedure and implementation
of disability related interventions and initiatives.

 Number
of
special
education
institutions are functioning under the
control of the provincial governments for
the children having different disabilities.
Recently, the special education institutions
run by the federal government are devolved
to the respective provincial governments in
the consequences of the implementation of
18th amendment in the Constitution of
the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.